KansasWolf AU: A Jouster's Love
by riah alice drake
Summary: KansasWolf AU: Royal heir Princess Dorothea O' Gale secretly competes in jousts around her aunt's kingdom but her ability to separate the two sides of herself is put to the test when she sees a vicious knight's wife mistreating her servant a beautiful woman the young royal only knows as "Red". But will a rival knight sweep in to win her servant girl's favor before Dorothea can?
1. Meeting

The low grunts of impatient steeds and the tight clatter of metal against itself fills her ears as does the muffled uneven clang of the blacksmith's hammer against the work table. She moved farther into the stables inhaling deeply the comforting mix of hay and animal musk.

It wasn't until she was near the back of the stables that she came across a newer more intoxicating aroma. The fragrance of running in a deep forest and a heavenly smell of soft vanilla.

"What have I told you about keeping away from my husband's horses?"

She stared in panic, her eyes already finding the floor as she backed toward the closest corner. Not fast enough it would seem as her mistress's hand closed around her dirty chestnut hair dragging her backward for a hard slap across her face, then, she was being shoved backwards onto the stable floor. The horse closest to them, a handsome, light honey blonde colored stallion that hadn't been stalled there the afternoon before, reared up with a kind of worried anger at the show of force.

"Lady Zelena." A rough voice called out with such a calming commanding presence that just being able to hear such a thing drove any pain she might have been feeling away. As her mistress turned away from her with a low but still snarled "Help with the rest of the feeding and watering of our guest's mounts. Then return to your own quarters for the night." This was an order, but she obviously wanted to seem pleasant after being caught in such a violent outburst. Red nodded meekly, her eyes fixed on the floor as she pushed herself up after her mistresses' shadow departed, signaling her moving away to greet the newcomer at the stable entrance.

Red hadn't even realized she'd been injured until the small cut on her cheek dropped blood into the stone floor as she pushed herself back up to her feet.

"Your Lady is she always so cruel to her servants?"

Red stilled for the second time that day at the soft purr of a voice. It was soft like warm honey, yet still held a strong edge that told her its owner wasn't one to cross. She hesitated then nodded in answer, her eyes closed tightly waiting for a slap at speaking ill of her mistress.

It wasn't until she felt the cold sting of water against the cut in her cheek that she opened her eyes in shock. No one had ever been so nice to her, even if that kindness was just cleaning a little cut from the emerald ring Lady Zelena always had on.

At least not since she had been in Lady Snow's services; until Snow's husband's twin brother, posing as his kinder hearted brother Prince David, used Red's servitude as collateral when all his other options had run out on a bet he'd made with Lord Orcus during the last tournament. James's deception was found out too late. When both James and David were called back to protect a key stronghold of their Lord's defenses from being burned, the dishonest bargain had been enforced and upheld to avoid keeping the men from carrying out the King's orders.

However, even the warm friendship she had with Snow couldn't compare to the rush of tender calming feelings she was experiencing when her eyes opened to consider the face of her aide. Needless to say, the eyes staring back into her own were more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. Soft like chocolate yet dark like the night sky piercing her very soul in one single glance.

"It should heal soon without a scar." her dark-eyed angel whispered still dabbing gently at the small cut with her handkerchief.

"Thank You," Red whispered with a shy ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. Her dark-haired companion only nodded back her eyes casting around distractedly. "How about I help you bed the horses down then you could show me around the grounds, so I can get my bearings with such a big place like this to get around?" Red gasped in amazement but somehow managed to move her head to agree to the terms. She finally noticed something other than the woman's strong, gentle features. She had her long hair, dark chocolate with chestnut highlights pulled back in a loose braid. She wore a well-worn and dirt splattered creamy colored shirt and rather ragged, patched pants under her riding skirts.

Lady Zelena had been complaining about needing more help around the place with the new bigger stable that was just finished in time for the newest tournament to start up. So, she must be a new stable groom for the next weeks. Either that or she was part of their new guests' hired help. Red secretly hoped for the former, that way she would have more time to get to know the other woman.

"I'm Dorothy." The woman Red had been calling her angel announced in a quiet tone, extending her free hand over the horse's neck toward her before Red could move away to start brushing out the dark cocoa colored mare. Red guessed the mare was the mate of the stallion she had been unconsciously drawn to before Zelena had found her.

"Red." The servant girl answered, her fingers closing around Dorothy's briefly yet still long enough for her arm to go numb with a kind of tingling warmth she'd never felt before, while the unnaturally light green eyes of the mare stayed locked on her as if quiet calculation.

Dorothy hummed in acknowledgment whispering the name a few times while they worked, testing it out before asking. "How can a color be someone's name when it isn't enough to match that person's inner strength?" Red nearly dropped the water bucket she'd been carrying her eyes wide in disbelief at the honest note in the new stable hand's tone. "Your parents should have called you something stronger like Ruby."

Red blushed at the praise then hastily corrected with "Granny is really the one who named me. She would always say that even when I was small she could see a kind of red fire in my eyes when she'd look at me and the name just stuck I guess…but you can call me Ruby if you want to. I kind of like it better actually…." She smiled shyly earning an agreeing nod from her companion at the acceptance "I was raised by my grandmother since I was small." Red explained as she brushed the dust and dirt from the mare's side as she talked "My mother abandoned us for a better life shortly after my birth and Granny said that Mother never told her outright who my father was.". Red was amazing herself at the openness she felt with this woman so soon after meeting her. She'd never told anyone the little she knew of her own past not even Lady Snow.

"Your Gran sounds a lot like my Aunt Em." Dorothy smiled before adding "After my parents passed on, Aunty Em and her husband took me in and have been looking after me ever since." She stilled, her eyes going wide as if she'd let slip some great secret.

Not that Red would press her on them, other than asking "So it was your aunt that helped teach you your trade or am I right to think that your skills with bedding down horses was self-taught?". Red let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as soon as Dorothy's shoulders relaxed at her teasing question. The servant girl waited for her stable hand companion to finish raking out the existing straw while she waited at the stall door with a fresh bail.

"No, my Uncle taught me. He would always stress that a real lady should know how to properly care for everyone in her house. Watching the healers tending to any injuries, small things or an emergency, working in the kitchens baking with the cooks, helping the ladies maids change the sheets and linens in the main and guest bedrooms. I even helped out in our family's smithy and our farm for two weeks in between my other lessons. And then, the obvious one: knowing how to both bed down, saddle and shoe my own horse or in my case, horses." Red noticed a sudden humor in Dorothy's voice as she looked between the two horses they had been working with as if she was unconsciously part of some inside joke as she continued to talk.

"Cause how can a lady like yourself, my young niece, know if the job is being done properly unless you yourself have done it step by step?" Dorothy opened up her voice playfully dropping just a bit, so she sounded more like a man on the question while she led her horse back into its stall for some much-deserved rest.

"Is it safe for them to be bedded in the same stall?" Red asked knowing the thing was wide enough to accommodate both animals

"These two rest better together than apart. The only time I'd stall them apart is actually during the tournament when Fiyero is a lot more energized from competitions. But even then, I keep them in sight of each other; either side by side or across the walk from one another." Dorothy explained running her hand down the stallion's muzzle to calm him. "Besides Fiyero would sooner break his own legs than risk hurting his girl." Dorothy countered taking the lead off "isn't that right Aro?" she asked with a childlike coo.

The stallion at her side snorted with what could only be considered a kind of horse humor but dipped his head as if in agreement as the female pressed herself against his side affectionately her unnaturally green eyes shining in content as soon as the male dip his head over her neck in a tender hug giving Red and Dorothy time to both slip out of the stall and slid the door closed behind them.

"Want to see what we can hunt up from the kitchens for lunch before we start the tour?" Red offered once the pair had finished storing the other gear away for later.

Dorothy hesitated, wondering if she should accept heading back to the castle yet and risk being outed to the kind woman at her side for who she really was. But then, she saw the pained nervous flash in her Ruby's eyes when she started to back out of going, so instead, she answered with "Lead the way Ruby." As she slipped her hand into Red's, they walked out of the barn just as a soft rain started to fall around them.


	2. The Bargain

"Are you alright?"

Dorothy just dropped her head not answering the question praying the honey-haired woman now framed in the main doorway hadn't caught sight of them just yet as she grabbed Red's hand tightly in hers. The other hastily wrapped up the bread and hard cheese they been sharing for later as she pulled the confused Red along with her back toward a side door. They had to get away before.

"Found you at last it seems."

Dam her uncanny, almost magical, ability to know exactly where Dorothea was hiding eventually.

"So, this is who you've been hiding out with instead of properly greeting our hosts is it?" Glenda started looking first at Red then around at the rest of the hectic kitchen pointedly while keeping a hard grip on Dorothy's other arm to stop her retreat "How many times do I have to tell you that such behavior isn't fitting for a R…"

"It was my fault really." Red piped up before Dorothy could do more than stare in horror while Glenda outed her in their little corner of the bustling kitchen. The rest of the workers hastily finished preparing dinner. "I talked her into letting me show her around just, so she could get her bearings about the place and I guess we just lost track of time while hiding from the rain."

Glenda looked between them calculating, then her eyes fell to their still joined hands and widened even more. "I was charged with tending to our mounts to be sure they got the proper care they deserved after such a hard ride." Dorothy answered lifting her chin defiantly and quietly ordering her advisor and friend to keep her mouth shut at such an open display with a single look. "And while working together on our joint task. Red," Dorothy paused turning to look at Red standing on her other side noting sadly that she'd released her grip on Dorothy's hand under Glenda's probing glance. "and I finished faster than I'd originally thought. Then with her Majesty already safely escorted, the rest of the way to the castle with Lady Zelena, we thought it best to make ourselves scarce after our task was complete." the young royal finished.

Red just looked at the stable hand in awe. The last time she'd stood up to her peers with such back talk like that she'd ended up under the lash.

"Her Majesty wanted another assessment of the events for the tournament just to be sure her Champion is up for the task of making it to the finals." Glenda answered with a small tilt of her head in acknowledgment both to Red's introduction and to her Princess's silent command. "After the dinner feast," Dorothea promised making a mental note to get her friend back for the dig as she watched the older woman depart. Glenda and her Aunt both knew full well she could win the opening matches with her eyes closed.

"It's alright. I should have let you get back to your real job a while ago Dorothy." Red pointed out in a low disappointed tone.

"And you should have gotten back to yours the second you finished in the stables," Zelena growled as Dorothy hastily slipped back into the shadows not wanting her hostess to know the young royal was there for the second time that day. "or have you forgotten that Sir Peter of the Western Lands is due to arrive in the morning. His room is still not prepared for him?" The russet red-haired woman barked, her hands already on her hips as she stared Red down until she scrambled off to get the room ready for the coming knight.

* * *

"Please, Aunty Em." Dorothea begged close to tears at this point "If they won't let her out willingly then at least get them to agree to let your champion win her freedom by winning the final joust of the tournament." She bargained.

"Have you completely lost your wits girl?" her aunt gasped the brush in her hand falling to the floor from her shock at her niece's words. "The last joust is against Zelena's own husband the Lord of these lands not to mention, our host for this tournament." The elder woman shuddered hearing the soft splashing from the water basin when Dorothea finished washing her face clean of the dirt and grime from the trip.

"If it means her freedom I would gladly face the devil himself." Dorothea answered forcefully closing the door of the wardrobe once she had finished choosing something decent to wear for dinner as she turned back to look at her beloved aunt.

"The whispers are that Lord Orcus is as close to the devil incarnate than any other could be." Em answered her voice dropping even more as if the very room around them were listening in on the conversation. "He is known as the destroyer of bones and the taker of lives."

"Then let him break them all if it means I can have the chance to be with her when it's all over." Dorothea said simply.

"You've only just met and you're already talking…?"

"You were the one that kept telling me story after story about how the second you laid eyes on Uncle Henry you knew he was the one your heart belonged to." Her niece answered bluntly cutting her question short with a hard eyebrow raised look.

"Your uncle, God rest his soul, was our kind girl. And without any children or males left in our family, it means that you, my headstrong warrior, will be crowned when I'm gone and as such you must be free to marry should an alliance be needed between our nation and another." Her aunt reminded her.

"With all the love and respect, I have for you, both as my Queen and my Aunt." Dorothea started her eyes finding and holding Emily's as she spoke "I'll give up the throne if need be. But when I do marry, it will only be to my Ruby, damn the consequences." She added her voice layered with unwavering love and determined loyalty.

"Do you even know if this woman returns such a binding pledge?" was the only question her aunt asked after several quiet seconds. Dorothea's answer was broken by a gentle knock at the door opening only after a scratchy call of "Enter" as both women held their breath wondering who had been eavesdropping on such a private conversation.

"Now is not the time to daydreaming about that servant girl My Lady. You have a dinner to attend." Glenda scolded pushing Dorothea toward the wash tub in the bathroom. "Quick now." The blonde warned, closing the door forcefully to give her some privacy.

"So, who is this young woman my niece seems so taken with after only spending an afternoon with her?" Queen Emily asked curiously letting the other woman start braiding her hair for her. "Well." Glenda begins but another knock at the door interrupted her.

"Enter." Em commanded her eyes on the door in the refection from her vanity mirror.

Red stepped in nervously using the time in closing the door to pull the sleeve of her shirt down to cover the bruise her mistress left on her arm for accidentally breaking a vase. "My Lady Zelena wished me to tell you that dinner is being served, Your Highness." She announced, bowing courteously, but she fought the to urge to ask what they had been talking about when she heard Glenda whispered "Her." toward the Queen's ear.


	3. The Gift

The days leading to the start of the tournament passed by quickly after that night. Dorothy always finding some way to slip away no matter if it was in the middle of training for her chosen events or having her Aunt cover for her missing out on a meeting with their hosts, so she could spend an hour or three with Red until her Aunt would send Glenda to fetch her or even on two different occasions seeking the pair out herself but always under the careful context of needing her for something to do with the tournament.

It had really amazed the young Princess that her blushing servant girl hadn't worked out just who she's been spending her afternoons with yet.

"Please? I don't want to go down to the markets by myself with all those pig-headed knights roaming around," Red pouted resting her chin on her arms as she watched Dorothy trot Fiyero around the practice ring in warm-up runs while the afternoon light cast the room around them in a shimmering golden warmth.

"Not all knights are that way." The closeted knight answered defensively.

"Well, I'm sure the Royal Champion isn't." Ruby mused after some thought curiously noting how Dorothy seemed to sit up just a little straighter in the saddle at her praise. "But the word going around the castle kitchens is that he hasn't arrived yet." Red shrugged pulling herself up, so she was sitting on top of the first rung of the practice fence "but aside from Lord Orcus's friend Sir Peter all the others here just seem to be interested in chasing skirts, drinking bar owners out of their liquor supplies or, boasting about how they are going to win every event they are in." she continued in a rather matter of fact tone.

"What do you mean 'aside from Sir Peter?'. Do you have feelings for him or something that you should single him out over the others?" Dorothy asked nervously pulling back harder than she meant to on Fiyero's rains that had her stallion grunted in annoyance as she dismounted.

Ruby blushed and dropped her head shyly but shook her head in defiance when she saw that Dorothy's question had been genuine. "He's nice and all but we would never work out." Red explained, "Besides why would I want to lead him on with an idea of a more than friendship kind of relationship when I'm already taken by someone else?" Ruby questioned making Dorothy's heart both hammer like a butterfly's wings then sink down into her toes like a heavy stone thrown into the ocean, so she hadn't caught the hopeful smile on the other woman's lips as she busied herself with unsaddling and petting down her horse in his job well done after their hard prectice session.

But someone else had.

"I do hope that all this strict training going on that my Champion will still fit to compete." Even the teasing undertone of her aunt's words didn't pull Dorothea out of her haze while Ruby quickly turned and bowed courteously at the monarch's presence while she still had her arms full of Fiyero's saddle.

"I'll just be one more moment." Dorothy promised still avoiding Red's panicked gaze when the stable hand still hadn't done more when addressing the royal woman as she brushed past her to put the horses saddle back on the side of his stall.

"It's alright," Emily promised seeing the fearful look in the young woman's eyes as her niece walked away. "She gets like that sometimes when it's so close to tournament times." The Queen commented making sure Dorothea was still out of earshot before asking the question she'd been dying to know since getting to know the young servant girl.

"You love her, don't you?"

"More than my own life." Ruby nodded nothing but unbridled honesty in her words.

Dorothea joined them again before the Queen could say anything more on the subject "I ma…erm got this for you." Her niece says holding out a small paper-wrapped box held closed by a single leather cord. "I'll see you around Red." She whispered but her aunt could hear her voice cracking on her name as she turned her back on the shaking handed servant girl now staring at the gift like it was the most precious thing she'd ever been given.

Dorothy was already out of the stables when Ruby finally looked up to thank her. "I'll be sure she gets the message dear." Em promised also making a mental note to remind her niece that it was quite rude to walk away after giving someone a gift. "May I see as well?" the Queen wondered curiously when Red just sniffed trying to hold back her tears as she nodded in consent.

Red nearly dropped the box in surprise once she'd carefully pulled the cord free and unwrapped the box with trembling fingers so much so that her companion had nearly offered to unwrap it for her more than once.

The thing turned out to be an expertly crafted necklace.

A silvery black wolf's head with tiny yellow gems for its eyes resting at the top of a pair of folded Valkyrie style wings that curved inward toward each other and set against the curve of those wings was. "I think it's safe to say your lady returns your feelings." The Royal commented her eyes like Red's still fixed on the carefully shaped blood colored gemstone that seemed to be held in place by the wings intertwined ending feathers and the tip of the wolf's muzzle.

Emily knew her talented niece had crafted and created the tender trinket herself not only had she given her niece the broach she'd melted down to forge the design of Red's favorite animal for the stone's holder, but she'd also seen a few earlier sketches crumpled up on Dorothea's writing desk before she'd locked them safely away for her niece keeping the creation secret from anymore prying eyes.

Ruby waited just long enough to both threads the cord that had originally bound the box closed into the catch behind the wolf's head then tied the cord tightly around her neck before she was running out of the stables praying she could still catch the woman who'd given her such a wonderful gift.

The Queen followed closely but nearly tripped over the young woman when she'd come skidding to a stop still inside the safety of the stables.

"Lord Orcus," Ruby whispered tucking the charm around her neck out of sight quickly as the master of the house flashed one of his more charismatic smiles at the young woman she'd been running after. "Don't fall for it. Please don't fall for him." She hissed under her breath her entire focus on the pair as her mistress's husband bowed his head to brush his lips across the back of a blushing Dorothy's hand.

"Ahhh there you are my hiding little wolf rose." The Lord commented catching sight of the servant girl he'd been hunting for over the Crown Princess's shoulder. Red tried not to let him see her shuddering at the pet name "Sir Peter was looking for you earlier. Said he wanted to accompany you on your trip down to the markets as your protection before the tournament fully started but that you stood him up." The high-ranking man continued still managing to be pleasant when his eyes clearly burned with unspoken anger at her defiance.

"That was my fault Lord Orcus." The Queen answered seeing Dorothy's eyes widen at the taller man's back at the name obviously not realizing who she'd been talking with until just that moment while beside her Ruby had dropped her chin to her chest knowing she was going to be in for it later when all the possible witnesses were asleep.

"I had her out here polishing my Champions armor, so it will be ready for his arrival later today." She covered for her making the other man grudgingly back down just by giving him an eyebrow raised look when he'd started to argue back.

"Well once you're finished with that see to it that Sir Peter knows your disappointment at having to stand him up this afternoon then please remind my wife she has to oversee that the new wine shipment is correctly stored." The Lord of the house commanded giving the trembling servant girl a telling look before departing with a low curious bow.


	4. Her Champion

While she was grateful that his now nearly constant presence beside her meant that Zelena couldn't find some reason to have her under the lash. Her back had just started to properly heal from the last 'manners session' as Lady Zelena had come to call them. Peter's desire to follow her around also meant that she could spend less time out in the stables watching Dorothy working with Fiyero or for her to spend any time what so ever with Dorothy for that matter.

For all she knew the only reason Dorothy hadn't sought her out already herself was because she was possibly and foolishly intimidated by the scruffy-bearded man who only leaves Red's side to sleep, bath or when he's practicing for his events in the training arena with her safely watching from the sidelines toying in longing with the cord of her necklace.

Red decided she needed both to finally have time to properly thank her angel for the warm weight tucked away under her shirts close to her heart and just so Red could satisfy herself that her dark-eyed warrior spirited stable groom hadn't been sent away just because the Queen's Knight had finally decided to show up the very day the tournament officially started.

" _The guy came charging in on the warhorse you like hanging around in the stables unannounced in full body armor no helmet and started training with the rest of us like it was nothing making all the girls swoon like school girls in first love and showing all of up while he was at it. Not even your Lord and Lady knew he was here until one of the other knights sent a boy for them."_

She remembers Peter telling her while he'd been trying to impress her by playfully juggling apples always adding in more until he couldn't keep the act to get her to laugh while she wandered the market aimlessly.

It was only when she knew he wouldn't be following her too busy with the first of his chosen evets to know what she was doing that she finally decided to act. If Dorothy wouldn't come to her then by heaven Ruby was going to track the stubborn woman down herself even if it took her the rest of the tournament to do so.

Now here she was standing in the middle of the armor room of the Queen's own Champion gaping like a fish at such a simple sounding request. But the request was just so astonishing that she was sure she must have misheard him.

"I…I think the Crown Princess would…" she started to say tripping over her words while the knight before her shook his head taking a hesitant step closer to her. "With all due respect to the Royal family." the already helmeted young man stated his voice low and somehow familiar to her, "I am not here because of them."

"What are you here for then?" Ruby asked already knowing his answer. It was the reason any knight competed. Fame, glory, the chance to earn more titles to impress the ladies they bed for a night or two just to leave them.

"You my lady."

Ruby's eyes went even more owlish than before "I am not some prize to." She snapped but again the armored man shook his head holding up his hand to stop her from speaking "Your freedom is the only prize I require at the end of these games. What you do with it is your choice alone." He corrected the genuine honesty and warmth somehow calming Red's flare of anger.

"I may ride under the Southern Queen's colors and shield but at my core, I only wish to be your Champion in these games." The knight said plainly taking another measured step closer to the servant girl before dropping down to kneel in front of her "That is why fair one my request is better suited to you." The knight pointed out his head bowed in submission

Ruby hesitated chewing on her lower lip in indecision before she finally spoke: "Only if you promise to return it to me at the end of the games." She whispered but her companion could hear the underlying fear of her strained voice.

"On my honor as her Majesties Champion." The knight vowed then stopped thinking something over before reaching up to unlatch the sides of his helmet and pulled it offsetting it down at his side, but his head still lowered so she couldn't see his face.

If she didn't know any better, she would swear that the knight still kneeling at her feet had to be Dorothy's brother. His hair color was nearly an exact match to hers all be it dampened with sweat and cut short just brushing the top of his shoulders if he'd just raise his head to meet her staring gaze. Too bad she was already in love with his sister or she would be falling over him in a second. Then again, he might not be any relation at all, but the nagging question did give the hunting woman yet another reason to find the mule-headed stable hand on top of everything else.

"I swear it." The dark-haired knight finished in an out of breath graveled kind of tone.

Red felt her fingers tremble as she reached behind her neck to undo the ties on the cord at her throat still hating herself for what she was about to do but also reasoning that it would be safer than always hiding it so Zelena would think she had stolen it or whatever else her Lady would make up to send her under the lash or worse have it destroyed.

"If anything, happens to this. I will track you down and Royal Champion or no I will kill you." Ruby threatened kneeling down as well to rejoin the cord this time around the knight's neck making sure the charm dangling from it was safely tucked under the boy's breastplate before she slid the man's helmet back in front of his downcast eyes safely keeping her own away from the knight's face the whole time quietly agreeing to his want to keep his identity secret from her.

"I will guard it with my life." Dorothea vowed catching Ruby's hand in her own to bring it to her lips "Thank you, my lady." She whispered pressing a tender kiss against her skin while her heart threatened to burst right out of her body at the familiar weight now hanging around her neck.


	5. Putting the Pieces Together

Red walked back in the direction of the market in a daze the back of her hand still tingling from the soft kiss the knight Ruby forced herself to stop digging her heels into the dirt for good measure as she got her baring's shaking her head at her own thoughts.

That wasn't just any knight. "That's just not possible." Ruby whispered to herself still wondering if she was mad for even thinking such thoughts as her eyes followed Fiyero now trotting majestically out of the stables in the direction of the distantly cheering arena making Red quickly changing course to shadow the blonde warhorse.

Ruby no longer cared if she was caught defying her orders by coming down to watch the competitions knowing full well her blood-colored cape would quickly give her away if someone were to look close enough as she pushed her way to the front of the onlookers just as Fiyero and his rider rounded the corner into the stadium.

She had her suspicions so naturally; all Red could think about was finding the right time to confront her knight or better yet her stable groom with them and pray to whoever in the wide universe of spirits would listen to her that she was, in fact, right and no one not even the Lady Zelena wife of the so-called "Knight of Death" was going to stop her.

How it had taken her so long to even suspect what she was now wondering was beyond her. But then again, she had had a lot on her mind the past few days besides wondering about the identity of the Queen's own Champion.

Her heart had finally stopped threatening to beat out of her chest as soon as her arms touched the well-worn wood of the outer fence along the arena wall, but the servant girl just couldn't get the feeling the action cause out of her head.

True the kiss the two had shared had only been to the back of her hand and only for a few quick seconds, but it had been enough to send an all too familiar jolt right to her very core. The only other times she'd had those feelings was whenever she'd gotten to see a shy flash of her smile or felt the grounding soothing weight of oddly soft yet somehow calloused fingers interlaced with her own in the all too brief time she had been in the company of the woman she now needed to find for yet another reason.

But at least now she thinks she has a good idea where to look.

* * *

Dorthea's head was still spinning part of her still couldn't believe what had just happened. She had finally actually kissed Red. Her Ruby. Yeah sure she had just kissed the back of her hand for a single heartbeat but that had been enough. But she also knew that wanting more was wrong Red hadn't even acted like she saw Dorothea as anything more than maybe a friend as well as just Dorothy the stable groom. Yet she couldn't stop herself from wanting. Especially with all those happy times, they'd spent together playing around in her mind as Fiyero carried her out of the stables once she'd remembered enough of her wits to pull herself up into the saddle.

The entire trip from the stables over to the stadium she wrestled with her thoughts but also couldn't shake the fact that someone was following her. Not that she really cared considering who everyone outside of just two other people thought she was. Well alright yes, she really is her Aunt's Champion and she had won that right fair and honorably without any help what so ever from her Aunt.

However, besides Aunt Em, Glenda and Graham everyone else thought the mysterious Southern Knight was a man.

It wasn't until she rounded the corner into the roar of waiting crowd that Dorothea completely got her thought in order. For now, at least she had to focus on winning these first jousts and everything even her shred of a chance of a love life had to wait.

"You took your time." Graham joked propping the first lance against his foot "But it was a good thing too cause then my wins in all your sword matches would have been denied." He grinned lowering his voice so Dorthey had to strain to hear him over the cheering crowd while the other introduction was being made as he cast a hasty glance around. "What you always say when I get called in to cover for you that I get to do one event just to make it fair, so I took mine early, so you can have all the real fun all to yourself." Her now clean-shaven squire reminded her at the annoyed grunt Dorothy gave him. "Besides you needed the space away from it all." His eyes meeting hers in quiet reminder.

Not that she really needed it. She didn't need to have her stomach turning sickly at the moment.

"Now get out there and splinter some shield already." Dorothea only huffed in answer but did manage to playfully slap her fifth-best friend in his chin as he handed her lance up to her.

"Oh, you asked for it." Her long-time hunting companion and sparring partner growled smacking Fiyero's flank hard sending the stallion rearing much to the awe of the watching spectators when the practiced knight only kicked her steed forward for the first lance in what would go on to be a rather dramatic win for the Southern Queen's Champion.


	6. Complications

It had been a calculated move she knew that now. They'd wanted her- or rather the Southern Queen's champion- to lose focus just for a few seconds that would cost the match given how Zelena had used the roar of the crowd as cover and knowing that no one would be looking away from the last run on the joust she knew she'd be safe in letting out more of her brutality. She wouldn't find out until later that most of it was because Lord Orcus had bet a bundle on the opposing knight before the tournament had started and hadn't counted on her skills with a lance or that she'd make it to the last round in the semifinals.

How Red had gotten to her fist after taking such a short yet brutal beating like that Dorthey will never know but one this is for sure. Her Ruby is a fighter. And quite possibly the last person Princess Dorothea O' Gale will ever see as her vision blurred again.

"Go fetch our sergeant." Graham was saying over her head when the royal clawed her way back to consciousness, but Dorothy was about to look away from those amber green eyes to see if his command was being carried out in the commotion of her fall.

"Lay a hand on me again I'm ripping it off." Red answered her own blood mingling with Dorothy's as she threw off the man's hand in favor of cradling Dorothy's still helmeted head in her lap. Dorothy wished they'd take it off already it was so heavy.

"Let's take this conversation to the castle. Glenda is already going for the surgent." Her aunt told them as Dorothy felt her body being lifted making her whimper as she forcer her eyes open searching for her while Fiyero lowered himself down letting Graham climb onto his back cradling the injured Champion against his body with Red and Emily followed as fast as they could given the commotion while more spectators tried to crowed around them as the war horse galloped away.

"They did it on purpose." Red grunted letting the other woman guide her down the path after the retreating stallion. "But we can't prove it." Emily agreed letting out a loud whistle that sent the crowed scattering when minutes later the mare Dorothy called 'Elphy' galloped toward them. "Very well trained." Emily shrugged at Red's amazed look at the action as the Southern Queen herself helped the servant girl into the animals back "You can ride bareback right?" she asked as Red settled as best she could while the Queen climbed up behind her gripping the reins tightly. "Just go." Red pleaded trying both to track Fiyero and keep an eye on where her Lord and Lady had gotten to in the mass of people crowding the stadium in the wake of the incident.

"So, I assume you know." Emily commented as they hurried down the halls only to find Peter waiting for them on the last turn into the wing that had been assigned to the visiting royals.

"I heard what happened and….." he started to say genuine concern in his voice but neither Ruby nor Emily was in the mood to hear what he had to say both pushing past him "If you want to be useful guard the door and don't let anyone besides my staff into this room. And I mean anyone boy." The royal instructed knowing that sooner or later the Lord or Lady of the house would be coming by.

Peter bowed his head obediently as he opened the door for them without looking up.

Muffled cries of pain sounded from the closed door as soon as the main door closed behind them making them both wince. "I said hold her down boy." the voice Red guessed belonged to the surgent ordered as the doors to Dorothy's room opened showing Glenda carrying the bloodied armor of her Princess.

Red ignored all the whispered calls for her to stay out dodging around the many hands attempting to restrain her and the stinging pain from her own injuries as she hurried to the makeshift surgent table that had once been the Royal's bed. "You have to live past this stable girl I haven't gotten to yell at you for leaving me alone these last few days." Ruby growled kneeling down beside her head as she reached out interlocking her fingers with Dorothy's making the other woman still for the first time since they'd gotten her armor off of her.

"Ruby." The pained royal groaned amazed she hadn't passed out from the pain yet as she turned her head just to find Red waiting with a hard kiss to her lips. Mercifully it was enough of a distraction for the medical man to finish pulling the larger splinters of the lance from her shoulder as well as stitch up the wound before the couple parted for air.

"You're the one avoiding me Ruby." Dorothy corrected with a weak smile but knowing that wasn't the case. She'd just been too scared to face the woman she'd come to love after asking her permission to compete for her and had been hiding out with her role both as her aunt's knight in the games and the role she had to play as the next in line for the Southern kingdom's throne.

"That lance was obviously tampered with." Graham growled pacing the floor just outside the door "This is an obvious move against us." He advised, "but how to prove it." He added earning a shrug from the other two in the room with him. "But right now, we need a plain now safety had been great compromised" he reasoned still pacing.

"She and that servant girl…" the doctor cut in closing the chamber door behind him as he joined in the conversation only to be but off with a triple growl of "her name is Red….Ruby." from the other three "They are resting and shouldn't be disturbed for the next few hours." He diagnosed "the princess's wounds need to be cleaned regularly and I'll be back to check on her in a day or so but in my professional opinion, she shouldn't be allowed in any more of those competitions. At least until she has regained strength in her arm."

They all nodded but knew that once she woke Dorothy wouldn't just sit in the stands while Red's freedom was on the line no matter how well she knew Graham would be finishing the tournament in her stead.

 _Meanwhile:_

"You were right my Lord. The girl is the Champion." Peter announced from his place kneeling down in front of the smirking royal having heard every word from his post at the door and had immediately left to report what he'd heard. "But how does this help us?" he wondered

"Oh, this changes everything." Zelena smiled in amusement from her husband's side "But we need to tread carefully my love." Lord Orcus countered in thought "they have gone against the king's commands sure but if we expose them right now they also have grounds for us to be stripped of our titles as well." he pointed out. "So, we have to pretend we don't know anything and let our guest heal up." He decided turning back to the still kneeling knight.

"Go back to your post and keep us informed and that woman of hers will be yours when this is over to do with as you please." He ordered earning a node from Peter "Of course my lord." He agreed with another deep bow.


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby cringed mostly watching throw her fingers at this point feeling Emily's hand against her shoulder in comfort while they continued fighting this time without their armor.

He had her pinned the edge of his sword threatening to slice her hand in half gloves and all if he kept pushing any farther. Thankfully her cleaver knight wasn't giving up so easy kicking out at his bracing knee as he loomed over her causing him to lose his balance for a split second before he regained it again and moved in for another attack.

In the days the Lord and Lady had suspended the tournament Peter had been growing steadily closer into the Southern Queen's inner circle and had gently coaxed the story of the wolf out of Ruby on one of their walks down to the market when Dorothy been forced to stay behind playing nurse to a 'heavily injured' Graham when Lord Orcus stopped in to say the tournament would be postponed for a few days to let 'him' heal enough to finish.

The resulting discussion on just why he was doing that lasted well into the night with Peter clenching his jaw in jealousy when Red had finally manage to slip into the room after the last errand she had to do for Zelena and only sending the scruffy bearded knight a greeting smile before snuggling up against Dorothea's uninjured side to fall asleep with her head resting on the other woman's lap to the feeling of Dorothy's fingers stroking her hair while she and the others continued talking.

"Stop looking at her like she's some piece of meat or some prize you want to clam. She is neither of those things." Dorothy snarled slamming her good shoulder into his side jarring Peter back to the training ring making him blink to bring Ruby come into sharper focus over the royal's shoulder as Dorothy moved to block her love from the knight's roaming gaze.

"Yet you were injured in the tournament because you made her the prize." Peter reminded her slamming the hilt of his sword into her injured shoulder as if she needed the reminder yet even at the explosion of pain making her arm all but dead in response Dorothy didn't yield this time around if anything she pinned him even harder her knee slamming down against his groin in relation evening the score as she moved in for the kill.

"Alright," Emily called out before Dorothea's blade could do more than press in warning against Peter's throat, but the determined look didn't leave the other's eyes as they continued looking at one another daring the other to keep fighting. "I think that's more than enough practice for the night." Again, neither knight moved more than Dorothy letting her pined opponent up.

"You might have the others fooled with that charming farm boy smile of yours but not me." Dorothy says her voice low but the ice in her words remained as her gaze following his eyes from the pendant hanging around Dorothea's neck up then over to the necklace's true owner still deep in a whispered conversation she was having with Graham in the stands wrapping one of Dorothy's cloaks tighter around her in the chilly night air. "I will find out what your hiding sooner or later."

Peter gave her a mildly interested smirk at the threat tilting his head in acceptance of his defeat at their latest sparing session "Fish all you want I have nothing to hide- _your majesty_." He murmurs in challenge his voice still scratchy from her below the belt hit only adding her title after a short pause his eyes going back to gazing in low burning longing at the brunette now sauntering toward them with a laughing smile on her lips.

"Come on stable girl. I think he has been bested enough for one night." Red suggested with a proud smile her eyes only on Dorothea holding out her hand in tempting offering while Peter had to push himself back to his feet as the servant girl he loved helped up the woman that had stolen her heart.

"At this rate, you'll be better midday come morning." Emily noted walking over toward them thinking over how much her niece had pushed herself over the last few days under the cover of the night sky. "The faster I heal the quicker you can leave this place." Dorothy reasoned wrapping her arms more securely around her Ruby's waist as the adrenaline from the fight started to fade. "As much as I want to see you take down Lord Orcus my love I want you completely healthy when you do." Ruby argued in a low whisper pressing her lips against the side of her lady love's head her eyes casting around in worry at saying the declaration out loud despite her meaning every word of it and the fact that it was the dead of night as she guides Dorothy over to the side of the practice ring with Peter shadowing them as they have come to expect from the other knight.

"I am touched that you're worried, but I can handle a little pain Ruby." Dorothea answered resting her read against Red's shoulder with a small smile at the blush the name brought to Red's cheeks as Dorothy and Peter watched how the servant girl expertly spin the sword Dorothy had been holding in her hand before replacing it in its sheath and handing the weapon over to Graham all without removing her hand from around Dorothea's waist. "Now let's get you two to bed. You need a decent sleep after that fight." Red decided holding out her other hand to Peter ignoring the scowl Dorothy pulled at the offering.

Peter takes her hand eagerly bringing it to his lips with a whispered: "Thank you." Against the back of her hand bringing the softest of blushes at the action as the group heads back up the path slipping back into the castle undetected thanks in part to Ruby's knowledge of the lesser used passageways around the place so in no time they have reached the guest rooms the Royals are using during their stay.

"I'll be back soon." Red promised pressing her lips against Dorothy's hand as she walked her to the door of her bedchamber while Peter waited for her by the door. "I'll go with you." Dorothy says despite swaying on her feet from fatigue. Ruby shook her head taking Dorothy's hand again to guide her over to her bed. "Get some rest, my love, please." She encouraged

"I'm sure I can find my way back to my rooms on my own." Peter offered respectfully keeping his eyes on the floor as he stopped at the door to the Princess's bedroom.

Red tried to think of an argument but mostly she felt relieved knowing that for the last few nights at least Lady Zelena took to walking the halls around her and her husband's rooms. More than once Red has had to say she had been sleepwalking to avoid any more of her lady's probing questions as to why she's been coming from the guest wing of the castle on the nights they would run into one another. But it's not her fault she'd rather spend her nights snuggled up with the warm arms of the woman she loves than alone in the draftier parts of the stone house.

"Then this is goodnight then." She decided giving a small smile at the feel of Dorothy's arms snake around her waist tugging her down onto the bed beside her both of them still fully clothed but too tired to change into sleep clothes.

"You're late." Zelena growls turning away from the window at the sound of Peter's carpeted footsteps behind her. "I'm sorry my lady." The knight says his head already bowed in submission "The training tonight ran longer than I'd anticipated." He defended by way of an explanation "she is getting stronger by the day I'd say another two days and she'll be fit enough to re-enter the tournament." He admitted scratching at the start of a beard on his chin as he talked.

"And the other one." Zelena questioned "She is warming to me it's true, but her heart still belongs to the princess. For the moment that is." He added the acid in his voice bringing a smile to the lady's lips as she turned completely from the window to look at him fully. "It's been my room she's been coming from these last few nights." Peter tells her "We've been getting to know one another without prying eyes or distractions holding us back."

"What you do with the servant girl is your own business besides she will be yours soon anyway." Zelena scoffs brushing off the subject with a wave of her hand "Now your sure the girl will be well enough to finish the competition in two days' time?"

The knight pauses in thought before nodding "Three days at the most my lady." He agrees, at last, earning a wide please smile from Zelena "Just enough time for a messenger to ride to the King and return with him."

Peter stiffens at the idea and also at the wicked look in the woman's eyes at the realization. "You may go now." She says by means of a dismissal. "But is that wise my lady to send for the King for such a trivial matter?"

Zelena looks around so quickly Peter thinks her head will snap off any second the full force of her anger normally reserved for punishing her servants (mainly Red from what Peter has seen) now directed only at himself. "Are you really going to question my decisions in my own house boy?" she asks standing up to her full height. Peter immediately bows his head once again "No my lady not at all." He backpaddles dropping to his knees for good measure to appease her. "I have half a mind to send you as the rider to the King. However, doing so will draw unwanted attention from those Southerners."

"How about you send my page in my stead. His disappearance for a few days will not make too big a fuss." The kneeling knight offered "Send him at first light now get out of my sight." Zelena barked looking out the window once again.


End file.
